I’m thrilled that Annette asked me to write a guest post for her today. She is one awesome lady, and boy does she know her fitness stuff! Annette and I used to work at the same gym back in the day, and then we reconnected in the healthy living blog community within the past several months. Needless to say, she’s pretty special and dear to my heart! {awwwww. thanks!}

With that, let’s move on to some fun fitness talk, shall we?! I wanted to talk about a new-to-me type of workout that I have been loving lately – SPIN!

Spin classes were one of those classes that I was always a little intimidated by. I would see the hardcore spin class go-ers come out of the group exercise room dripping in sweat and talking about how tough the class was. Not only that, but I had never been on a spin bike before, let alone even know how to use one! Because of that, I usually stuck with what I knew when it came to cardio at the gym – the treadmill, elliptical, and stairclimber.

That all changed about a month ago when I decided to get a new gym membership. I kept hearing from various healthy living bloggers about how much they loved their spin classes. I also thought it’d be a good option for my knees and feet, since cycling is low impact compared to running and some other cardio options.

I finally decided to give it a whirl and found myself on a spin bike one Tuesday morning waiting for class to begin. I was a little nervous since I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I was also pretty stoked to try out something new.

It only took me a little bit to figure out the spin bike, and I was good to go. I loved my first class! I was a sweaty mess by the end and felt like I had been pushed without going past my limits. The hour long class whizzed by, my knees and feet felt great by the end of it, and I loved the new challenge. Success! I knew I would be coming back.

Since then, spin class has something I have looked forward to each and every Tuesday morning. I will admit, the bike’s seat created some discomfort in my booty at first, but I eventually got used to it. That being said, if your rear feels sore and uncomfortable after your first few classes, don’t let that cause you to not go back! You will get used to it, and it is so worth it.

As my love for spin class developed, I learned that pushing myself out of my fitness comfort zone can be so beneficial! Not only did I learn that I love spin, but I am now able to add more variety into my workouts and have even more fun within my workout routine than I was having before I discovered spin.

I challenge you to decide on something that will cause you to be pushed outside of your fitness comfort zone. Maybe it’s adding some distance to your runs, attending a new class that you’ve never tried before, or increasing your weight within your strength training workouts. Whatever it may be, don’t wait – dive in now and do it with an open mind! If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again.

However, you might find a newfound love that you never realized you had before or reach a new goal that you’ve been wanting to attain. Most importantly, have fun with it!

Thank YOU Ashley! I know that my going to a spin class last week was definitely outside my ‘comfort zone‘! Cheers to riding!

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WHEY

And for your reading pleasure, I read an article the other day from www.hollandandbarrett.com and just had to share some of the info with ya’all–and since whey protein is the perfect recovery from a spinning class, this could help us all out

Whey proteins represent a combination of globular proteins which are previously isolated from whey.Whey is a liquid that results from the process of making cheese. Recent experiments conducted on rodents have made scientists believe that this type of proteins can be beneficial to human health due to its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

Medical Use

Studies conducted on the protein have reached to an initial conclusion that it can be used to:- help the body synthesize proteins- improve the body’s recovery process- protect the body against the action of free radicals- protect the body against toxins

+ more

Benefits for Athletes

This protein is recommended for people who practice different sports, but especially for those who lift weights. This is due to the fact that the type of amino acids it contains is valuable for maintaining and repairing muscle tissue. Moreover, the amino acids maintain the body’s glutamine reserves which limit muscle breakdown. It also plays a key role in improving the body’s performance in sporting activities. Being a source of additional energy, it increases the overall endurance of the body and reduces the feeling of fatigue.

UMMMM Cool huh?! I didn’t know some of that! But I definitely love my protein powders–especially after sweat fests.

Comments

i don’t spin on a regular basis, but i do enjoy it occassionally when i want to mix things up. i also like how it is a great form of cardio and something that i don’t have to really think about.. i just follow the instructions of the teacher!

I have issues with my hip flexors (lack of flexiblity) and I have had no issues w/ spin classes. Have the instructor help you set up the bike because that is really key. I also watch the RPM’s if I feel uncomfortable, I just drop my RPM’s and/or increase the tension. I think sometimes people drop some much tension off to reach a certain RPM and that is what can lead to injury. Remember, you don’t have to do exactly everything the instructor says. Listen to your body!

I tried spinning once because I normally love riding my bike outside, but for some reason, the class was really hard on my knees. I had runners knee a few years ago, so that was probably one of the reasons this happened. But do you think it would be ok to continue if my knees were hurting during the class?

It could be that you didn’t have the bike set up right and that is why you had knee pain. Have the instructor help you with bike set up. Also when you come up out of the seat (for hill climbing), you want to be sure you engage the core and come out smoothly so you protect your knees (and back). Be sure there is enough tension (or gears) on when you come up as well; that will also cushion the knees.

Amen! That happened to me on my first spin class as well–my bike was set up wrong and my knees hurt as well! Yuck. Also, doing squats and lunges can help strengthen the quads which will in turn help reduce knee pain (as usually a weakness up above can lead to that)< –so something to keep in mind

i LOVE spinning so much! its a great workout and I love the music that the instructors play…i also love that you can adjust to class to your own abilities…i rejoined the gym this year mostly because i missed spinning so much

Great guest post, Ashley! I’ll have to check out your blog!
I was really intimidated before I took my first spin class. I thought it was only for “hardcore” people. But I was completely hooked after that first one and became an instructor a few years later- and I’ve loved every class I’ve taught in the last 3 years. I constantly try to push people a little outside of their comfort zones. If I see someone in my spin class that’s not sweating, they’re not working hard enough.

I love spin classes and I have to admit I was intimidated at first. But then I found out that all of those spinners were once like me and they are all nice and supportive and welcoming of new comers.

I tell anyone who wants to do a spin class to tell the instructor that it is their first time spinning. The instructor should help with bike set up and give a brief orientation of how to use the bike prior to class (so go a bit early the first time). The other tip that I received from a friend who inspired me to do spin is that you don’t have to do everything the instructor says. If you don’t want to add a gear-don’t. If the RPM’s the instructor is recommending is too high-don’t go there. You can customize the workout for you. That was a big help to me because I really struggled sometimes with the high RPM’s. My legs only go so fast (safely), so I know what level is 100% effort for me and that is what I do.

I did end up investing in a pair of bike shorts (I do spin sometimes 3x a week); it was too much of a distraction for me and I didn’t want to be uncomfortable. (Some people buy the gel seat covers that can go over the top of the seat; those work great too).

Welcome, I’m Annette!

-A romantic to the very bones, I adore that I get to live happily ever after with my prince, Jared, & our daughter Lily.
-A fitness instructor by morning/evening, & an avid reader & fitness coach when I can fit it in, I've got lots of things to chat with you about, so stay awhile!
-I hold an M.S. degree in Exercise Sciences & a Minor in Nutritional Science.
-Although I am not a doctor nor a dietician, I LOVE encouraging & motivating others to get fit while I do the same. I'm happy you could join me on this blogging journey! Read More…